Crock Pot Spinach and Artichoke Dip: Indulge to Your Heart’s Content

Crock Pot Spinach and Artichoke Dip: Indulge to Your Heart’s Content

Bringing the restaurant back to your home is now simpler than boxing up your leftovers. Crock pot spinach and artichoke dip is one of those set-it-and-forget-it recipes that doesn’t take an entire work day to cook and can be made in a pinch if you’re going to a party you plain forgot about. Light knife work and mixing is all that’s required to make a dip that’s not greasy, perfectly cheesy, and creamy all at the same time.

Many of the restaurant recipes I’ve had for spinach and artichoke dip sit heavy in your stomach. One chip too many and you’re on your way to an upset stomach and not even eating more than a few bites of your main course. The oil that sits on the top that has to be mixed in with each bite doesn’t settle well with my eyes or stomach. Heavy fat cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, and whole milk make the dip extremely dense. Although it does taste richer, you can’t enjoy or appreciate the wealth of flavor because you can only have a few chips and you’re full.

This recipe for crock pot spinach and artichoke dip is designed to allow you love the dip again and not have to leave with an upset stomach or become hungry in a few hours. Low fat cream cheese, light sour cream, light mayo, and 2% milk give the crock pot spinach and artichoke dip its creaminess without a ton of excess fat. You won’t have to mix in a ton of oil on the top when you open your crock pot to stir. You can also binge on it without feeling super guilty or running to the bathroom. This dip is equally, if not more, satisfying than a traditional full fat version and when it’s slow cooked in the crock pot, the melting of cheese and other flavors are brought out instead of the extra oil or fats.

If you really want to go all out, you can use low fat cheese as well. I haven’t really noticed that much of a change in taste by switching to low fat cheese but if you’re extremely health conscious and still want to eat this dip, that’s a great way to cut fat, salt, and calories. Low fat cheese may help to reduce any oily build up on the sides of the dip in the crock pot and I’ve never noticed that it had a hard time melting into the rest of the dip. This recipe uses traditional shredded cheeses, however, low fat cheese will work just as well.

Instead of the traditional frozen spinach, I also opt for fresh baby spinach. I like that it doesn’t come hardened in a bag and it’s not filled with salt or other preservatives. I like that the baby spinach also absorbs more flavors than frozen as well. When you use frozen spinach, half the time is spent just defrosting the giant block in the dip and it adds a bunch of extra water to the dip. We want a thick texture; not something that’s going to fall off the end of your chip or veggie every time. Fresh baby spinach can stew in the crock pot dip ingredients and doesn’t add any extra water to the pot. It helps the mixture stay thick and easy to scoop while still adding the flavors of the spinach. Make sure not to pack down the spinach into your measuring cup. Let it be fluffy and free to get the correct amount for the dip.

In under three hours, this creamy, cheesy delight can be yours. If you can lightly chop, dice, and mince, you’re golden. And if you want to take a short cut, you can buy minced garlic. The ingredients are all thrown in the crock pot, stirred, and left to ooze into each other and melt into perfection. A light amount of stirring later and all the cream cheese is melted in and almost ready to serve. You don’t have to do much to make this party-pleasing dip and everyone will rave about it without knowing it’s not chock full of fat and calories. That’s my favorite party trick: serving something that everyone thinks is full of junk when it’s actually made with light or low fat ingredients and not that bad for you.

When you want to indulge in a dip that won’t sit heavily in your stomach, make this recipe for crock pot spinach and artichoke dip. It’s a wonderful treat on a cheat day off from regular healthy eating or to share with friends. I suggest using tortilla chips or popcorn chips with this dip, but if you prefer veggies, that will work just as well. You don’t have to spend all day waiting for it to be done. Make your breakfast, savor the morning, and treat yourself to this dip as an afternoon or late night snack.

If you’re going to a large party and want to bring more than one devour-able dip, try the Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip. It’s spicy, always has mouthwateringly juicy chicken, and tantalizingly good flavors.

-Don’t pack the spinach down. Just add it to the measuring cup and let it be fluffy and light. I use a large 4 cup measuring cup so 2 of those does the trick plus it’s easier to put all the spinach in rather than having to do 8, 1 cup measurements.

By Mandy Ellis

Recipe Category: AppetizerRecipe Cuisine: American

Slow cook it:

Rinse, drain, and lightly chop the artichoke hearts

Dice the small onion and mince the garlic

Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, diced onion, minced garlic, parmesan, mozzarella, milk, feta, mayo, red wine vinegar, pepper, and garlic salt to the crock pot (Don’t pack the spinach down. Just add it to the measuring cup and let it be fluffy and light. I use a large 4 cup measuring cup so 2 of those does the trick plus it’s easier to put all the spinach in rather than having to do 8, 1 cup measurements.)

Stir all ingredients in the crock pot until fully incorporated

Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch cubes then add the cubes to the top of the crock pot spinach dip mixture

Turn the crock pot on low and cook the dip for 2 hours

After 2 hours, stir the mixture again and make sure all the cream cheese has melted in

Cook the dip for an additional 30 minutes on low

When the dip has finished cooking, stir again and serve with your favorite pita, tortilla, or popcorn chips and savor this delightful dip!